Artie Traum, 1943-2008
Renowned songwriter and guitarist Artie Traum, who, along with his older brother, Happy, was a major figure and a pioneer in the 1970s acoustic music scene, has died. Cancer that spread to his liver claimed his life at…
News Capsules for the Acoustic Community
Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame Inducts 10
Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson are among the inaugural class of inductees in the new Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The two nationally known artists from the greater Blue Ridge Mountains region, which extends from north Georgia to northwestern Virginia, were honored during ceremonies June 13 at the Walker Center on the campus of Wilkes Community College (home to Merlefest). The Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame was created in 2006 as a project of the Wilkes Heritage Museum and the nonprofit Old Wilkes, Inc. Through exhibits, interactive displays and an annual celebration of inductees, the Hall of Fame seeks to educate visitors, while defining and interpreting the rich musical heritage and traditions of the Blue Ridge Mountains area and musicians in all genres from the region who have contributed to it. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
2008 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Winners Named
Six songwriters were named as 2008 New Folk Winners after performing, along with 26 other finalists, in the Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Concerts, May 24-25, at the Threadgill Theater on the Quiet Valley Ranch Campgrounds at the Kerrville Folk Festival in the Texas Hill Country. This year's winners were RJ Cowdery of Columbus, Ohio; Robby Hecht of Nashville, TN; Betty Soo of Austin, TX; Devon Sproule of Charlottesville, VA; CJ Watson of Nashville, TN; and Hans York of Seattlle, WA. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Folksinger, Storyteller, Railroad Tramp Utah Phillips Dead at 73
Utah Phillips, a seminal figure in American folk music, who performed extensively and tirelessly for audiences on two continents for 38 years, died Friday, May 23, of congestive heart failure in Nevada City, California. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Bob Childers, Godfather of Red Dirt Music, Dies at 61
Family, friends and fans of Bob Childers, an influential figure in Oklahoma's "Red Dirt" music circles, gathered in Oklahoma City on Sunday to celebrate the life and memory of the prolific and much-covered songwriter. Childers -- whose music was a blend of country, folk and roots-rock that drew inspiration from another revered Oklahoman, Woody Guthrie -- died April 22, following a long battle with lung disease. [To read the entire article, click on the headline].
Roots Music Association Cancels Conference in June and Looks To Reschedule Inaugural Event for Later This Year
Organizers of the Roots Music Association (RMA)'s inaugural convention, radio seminar and music festival -- Music United '08 -- are looking to reschedule the event that had been slated for June 27-29. "We had been planning for months to hold the event at the Shrine Convention Center in San Antonio [Texas]," wrote Robert Bartosh in an April 22 e-mail notice to association members that also appears on the RMA's website. "However, due to recent developments, these plans are no longer feasible and we plan to reschedule the event for later this year at another location close to San Antonio." [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Falcon Ridge Preview Tour Plays 23 Northeast Venues in May
Performing songwriters Joe Crookston, Anthony da Costa, Lindsay Mac and Randall Williams – emerging artists who were voted “most wanted to return†by 2007 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival attendees – help the festival inaugurate its 20th anniversary year during a 23-show preview tour in May. The tour, which kicks off May 1 at the venerable Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, makes stops at notable coffee houses, theaters, clubs and house concert series across the East Coast. [To read the entire article and see the tour schedule, click on the headline.]
Winners Named in 9th Annual Great American Song Contest
Dave Murphy, an Americana singer-songwriter, captured first place in the contemporary acoustic/folk category of the ninth annual Great American Song Contest for his song "Chesapeake." Winners in nine categories were named earlier this month. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
No Depression Magazine to Cease Publication This Spring
No Depression, which billed itself as "The Last Alt. Country (Whatever That Is) Bimonthly," will cease publication with its 75th issue in May-June. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Folk Alliance Awards Presented in Memphis
Winners of the Third Annual Folk Alliance Awards were recognized during an awards ceremony on the opening night of the 20th Annual International Folk Alliance Conference that drew nearly 2,000 people to Memphis, Tennessee, February 20-24. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Pete Seeger: The Power of Song Airs on PBS, Feb. 27
The first authorized biography of Pete Seeger will air on PBS television stations, February 27. Entitled Pete Seeger: The Power of Song, the documentary by three-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jim Brown is part of the American Masters series of primetime specials delving into the lives, works and creative processes of some of our cultural icons. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Grammy Award Winners Named
Winners in the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy, were announced both prior to and during ceremonies in Los Angeles on February 10. [To see a list of winners in categories of interest to acoustic music fans, click on the headline.]